This invention relates to a bipolar protective switch provided with a two-piece housing of narrow design. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a switch which includes an actuating member, connecting members and an actuating device including an electromagnet. The actuating device is designed either as a zero voltage actuator or overvoltage actuator operatively arranged so that the armature of the electromagnet is dropped in the event of a voltage failure or is attracted when there is excess current, actuating the switch, so that when the voltage is restored or normal current returns, the switch can only be closed by operation of the actuating device.
A push-button actuated switch of the type described hereinabove is known, the switch being provided with two contact bridges, the bridges being disposed one above the other in the longitudinal direction of the housing and connected together mechanically by a slider, serving to connect a contact bridge or the two wires to be switched. The contact bridge or one of the contact bridges is disposed swivelably and axially displaceably on a switch rod connected rigidly to the push button, and having an arm which is latchable with a holding nose actuatable by the armature of the electromagnet which is likewise disposed in the lengthwise direction of the housing beside the contact bridge. The known switch requires a relatively large housing, has a plurality of individual components, and uses a plurality of switch components in the housing, especially for mounting and support. This arrangement makes the manufacture of this particular type of switch more difficult. Moreover, in the known switch, the terminals are not easily accessible in simple fashion and in particular are not arranged uniformly in a single plane.